This invention concerns an apparatus and method for burning agricultural waste, particularly straw, which will produce a more efficient combustion resulting in more heat output and a cleaner exhaust stream, the hot gases of which may be put to use as a heat source.
Although alternative energy sources have only recently received a significant amount of attention, consideration of the burning of straw and other agricultural waste as a useful energy source goes back many years. An efficient agricultural waste burner as a heat source would be particularly useful in agricultural operations requiring heat since the fuel would be readily at hand. However, two major difficulties occur with the burning of straw. Straw forms a large amount of loose ash which must be removed at frequent intervals and straw burning requires a large amount of monitoring and, consequently, a large amount of operator time.